Tech addiction is real: How to reduce screen time and avoid social media

How many times a day do you look at your phone? As Assurion(Opens in a new window) study, the 2022 average was 253 times a day. Every year we spend 36 days on social media.

It’s so easy to get lost in our screens as we swipe from app to app and scroll through social feeds. Unless you’re ready to ditch the grid and move to a log cabin in the woods, completely cutting technology out of your life is unrealistic. what you can It’s about trying to use technology carefully. Smart devices and social media apps are designed to keep you engaged, but there are ways to take control of your technology.

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1. Change notification settings

(Credit: Samsung)

Dealing with notifications from emails, messages, Snapchat, Instagram, Slack, and dozens of other apps? Cut the noise by changing the default settings.

Go into the notification settings on all your devices — smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops — and turn off anything you deem unnecessary. For example, disable the notification dots that appear next to your app icons and beg them to check. Or change settings for individual apps to customize what events on Facebook ping.

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2. Avoid distractions

iPhone focus mode (Credit: Apple)

Apple iPhone users have a feature called Focus Mode, which is basically a modified version of Do Not Disturb (DND), which allows you to disable certain functions at certain times of the day. It includes the traditional DND but also specific modes for sleep, personal time and work.

Android root has its own focus mode. Settings > Digital security and parental controlsYou can schedule times when distracting apps aren’t available to use.

On PC, Mac users have a version of Focus Mode, on Windows Focus Assist can block notifications with certain criteria. Windows 11 users have an additional focus session productivity feature.

There are also third-party options like Liberty.(Opens in a new window) and StayFocusd(Opens in a new window) An extension that temporarily blocks apps and websites for certain periods of time. Extensions help you use websites like Facebook and YouTube in more targeted ways. Anxiety free YouTube(Opens in a new window) Removes recommended videos from the sidebar. News feed(Opens in a new window) It obscures Facebook posts for users who only want to use the app as a resource for events and groups. Facebook Demeter(Opens in a new window) The extension hides like, comment and share numbers to prevent you from fixing feedback.

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3. Manage your screen time

(Credit: Apple)

App and device makers have their own solutions to tackle tech addiction. For iPhone users, Screen Time tracks your app usage and lets you set limits on certain types of apps. A feature called Downtime helps avoid phone usage by locking certain apps and phone features to a daily schedule.

Google Digital Security on Android(Opens in a new window) App provides a dashboard that breaks down app usage, showing how often you open your phone and how many notifications you receive. For those with Galaxy devices, Samsung offers its own digital security feature.

Some apps have their own Screen Time features. On Facebook, open Settings and Privacy > Your time on Facebook And choose Look at the time To confirm how often you use or select the application See tools To set limits on application usage. Facebook offers a silent mode to disable all notifications and apps at certain times.

Silent Mode (Credit: Facebook)

If you open and select the hamburger menu on your profile, you can do the same on Instagram. Your activity > time spent. The app allows you to set vacation reminders and decide how long you can use the app at a time. Instagram has its own silent mode. Settings and Privacy > Notifications > Silent Mode.

TikTok allows you to monitor your screen time and set limits to limit your app usage. From your profile, open and tap the hamburger menu. Settings and Privacy > Screen Time View your daily and weekly screen time, set breaks and manage sleep reminders.

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4. Turn on the gray scale

iPhone Grayscale Settings (Credit: Apple)

Human Technology Center(Opens in a new window) “Every time we open it, colorful images offer brilliant rewards to our brains,” he says. Setting your phone to gray will train your mind to check your phone less.

Go to on iPhone Settings > Accessibility > Display and text size And choose Color filters. wake up Color filters And save it Gray scale. You can also open Accessibility shortcut And choose Color filters Optional. This lets you triple-click the side button or the home button to turn grayscale on and off.

If you don’t want your phone screen to be gray all the time, you can set it to turn on at certain times, such as bedtime. Create one that turns the phone’s screen gray when activated with the iPhone Shortcuts app. This step can be related to sleep time or focus mode.

Options for Android users vary depending on their phone manufacturer. Samsung owners can unlock it. Settings > Accessibility > Visibility improvements > Color correctionthen select Gray scale And enable it Color correction on top of. Pixel owners should go Settings > Accessibility > Color and Motion And choose Color correction. Then you have to activate it Use color correction And choose Gray scale.

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5. Establish healthy sleep patterns

Sleep Focus and Sleep Schedule on iPhone (Credit: Apple)

The best way to start a healthy relationship with your phone is to practice healthy habits at bedtime. This means keeping your phone out of reach at night and using a physical alarm clock. Your phone should charge more than your bed or leave it in another room entirely to avoid being tempted to pick it up in the middle of the night.

Take this even further by putting your phone away at least an hour before bed. Your iPhone can help you here if you turn on Sleep Focus below. Settings > Focus To hit notifications at night. This can also be used in conjunction with the Health app to set a bedtime, with the phone reminding you when it’s time to go to bed and again when it’s time to go to bed.

Android has a similar feature that allows users to set sleep schedules, turn on Do Not Disturb, and customize screen filters. open Settings > Modes and routines > Sleep On a Galaxy phone. go to Settings > Digital security and parental controls > Bedtime mode On the Pixel.

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6. Switch to utility-first mode

App Library on iPad (Credit: Apple)

Modern smartphone interfaces are designed so that you can use them without thinking about it. Are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or Reddit all readily available when you turn on your screen? If so, it’s easy to log into one of these apps and start scrolling before you even have time to realize you opened it for a reason.

Avoid getting into an endless loop by cleaning up your digital space. Put all your social apps into a folder and hide it on the last home screen. If you want to test them, your mind has to work for it. After doing this, you might find yourself looking at your Instagram feed a little more frequently.

If that doesn’t go far enough, remove the app from the home screen entirely. Android users can drag and drop apps from their home screen, while iPhone users can long press and select an app. Remove app > Remove from home screen To move to App Library.

You may also want to try searching by name instead of opening the app directly. On iPhone, swipe down to bring up the search box. Android users can swipe up or use the search box embedded on the home screen.

Take a moment to consider whether even these small changes are opening the app for a reason.

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7. Delete apps and use the web instead

(Credit: Apple)

If all else fails, take the nuclear option and delete unnecessary apps from your phone. Remove an app from iPhone by long-pressing and selecting it. Remove app > Delete app. Android users can drag an app here. Delete option on the edit screen.

But that doesn’t mean you can never use social media again. For social networks like Facebook, you can still log in from the web if you still need to verify. So you can still use the service without needing to open the app at a moment’s notice. You control your technology. Don’t let it control you.

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8. Set social boundaries

One key element missing from the way many of us use technology is etiquette. When is it appropriate to take out your smartphone and when is it considered rude? If you’re having a face-to-face conversation with someone, resisting the urge to pull out a weapon is the first step in avoiding unhealthy or rude behavior.

A good rule of thumb is not to have utensils on the table during meals, whether in a restaurant or at home. It’s bad precedent, especially if kids who don’t yet have their own devices are at the table scrolling through Instagram with one hand, eating with the other, and pretending to overhear the conversation.

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9. Switch to a dumb phone

Nokia 2780 Flip (Credit: Dave LeClair)

There is one more option to try: download from smartphone to dumb phone. The market is dominated by large-screen multimedia devices from Apple and Samsung, but more and more people are buying inexpensive voice phones to stay connected. And they are cheap. The Nokia 2780 Flip costs less than $100.

Rob Marvin contributed to this story.